20 years ago Will Smith was not the A-list star he is today, that all changed when he shouted his now infamous "Welcome to Earth" line in the blockbuster "Independence Day."

Recently the sequel to "Independence Day," "Independence Day: Resurgence" released its first trailer and oddly enough Smith is absent from the film all together. Leaving fans wondering why the actor would leave a franchise that is arguably responsible for his rise to fame?

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It appears that Smith was originally excited to return to his role as Captain Steven Hiller and director Ronald Emmerich stated that he had planned a father-son story for Smith's character in the film.

However, it seems that Will Smith's mind about the project changed during the long time between films. Reports are saying that Smith is reluctant to do another Father-Son space movie after the poor reception of the last Father-Son space drama he stared in called "After Earth."

The reception for "After Earth" was so poor that both he and his son Jaidden Smith received and won a Golden Raspberry for worst on screen duo. The Golden Raspberry is the opposite of the Oscars in where awards are given for the worst performances on screen for a particular year.

Emmerich stated that after "After Earth" Smith no longer wished to be part of the film stating that he was tired of sequels and science fiction films.

"Independence Day Resurgence" does have its share of stars as both Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum have been confirmed to return to their roles from the first film and stars like User, Liam Hemsworth, and Sela Ward have been added to the cast.

Fans of Will Smith shouldn't worry though, the actor can be seen in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie where he will be playing Deadshot.

Currently "Independence Day: Resurgence" is slated to debut on June 25, 2016.

TagsIndependence Day: Resurgence, Will Smith, Jaiden Smith, After Earth, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Usher, Liam Hemsworth, Sela Ward, Ronald Emmerich